Good morning everyone,
I have inherited an older house and originally planned to renovate it. So far, I have been in contact with three architects. One suggested a new build, while the others recommended renovation. With the chosen architect, we went through the renovation planning.
Today, after half a year, I received the cost estimate, and I was almost shocked. The estimate is just under €900,000, including the landscaping and terrace planning.
The house is very old, there are not even proper plans (built around 1800), and it is only habitable on one level with about 90 m² (970 sq ft). The ground floor and attic should actually be converted into living space after the renovation. The roof is dilapidated and definitely needs to be completely replaced, as the ceilings are only about 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) high and are sloped. An extension must also be built onto the house because a rather narrow staircase inside ruins the entire layout. The electrical system is decades old, and there is no heating at all. The windows also need to be replaced.
Now, of course, I have started to reconsider, as I never expected such enormous costs. Paying off the house for a lifetime doesn’t make sense to me.
I am now looking into prefabricated houses again and the demolition of the existing building. Turnkey or ready-to-finish houses seem to be available from about €150,000, although that is probably the absolute basic construction. But even if I factor in a buffer (x2) and estimate the foundation slab plus demolition at €100,000, I am still much better off with a new build. Of course, I would have to forgo subsidies, but in this case, that is probably negligible. Besides, I can choose the type of house I want and have something brand new.
What do you think? Maybe someone has gone through something similar or can share their experience with a prefab house 🙂
Thank you very much
I have inherited an older house and originally planned to renovate it. So far, I have been in contact with three architects. One suggested a new build, while the others recommended renovation. With the chosen architect, we went through the renovation planning.
Today, after half a year, I received the cost estimate, and I was almost shocked. The estimate is just under €900,000, including the landscaping and terrace planning.
The house is very old, there are not even proper plans (built around 1800), and it is only habitable on one level with about 90 m² (970 sq ft). The ground floor and attic should actually be converted into living space after the renovation. The roof is dilapidated and definitely needs to be completely replaced, as the ceilings are only about 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) high and are sloped. An extension must also be built onto the house because a rather narrow staircase inside ruins the entire layout. The electrical system is decades old, and there is no heating at all. The windows also need to be replaced.
Now, of course, I have started to reconsider, as I never expected such enormous costs. Paying off the house for a lifetime doesn’t make sense to me.
I am now looking into prefabricated houses again and the demolition of the existing building. Turnkey or ready-to-finish houses seem to be available from about €150,000, although that is probably the absolute basic construction. But even if I factor in a buffer (x2) and estimate the foundation slab plus demolition at €100,000, I am still much better off with a new build. Of course, I would have to forgo subsidies, but in this case, that is probably negligible. Besides, I can choose the type of house I want and have something brand new.
What do you think? Maybe someone has gone through something similar or can share their experience with a prefab house 🙂
Thank you very much
Reim2022 schrieb:
Today, after half a year, I received the cost estimate and I was almost shocked.
The estimate is just under €900,000, including the landscaping and terrace planning.
The house is very old, and there are not even proper plans anymore (built around 1800). It is only livable on one level with about 90sqm (970 sq ft). The ground floor and attic should actually be converted into living space after the renovation. The roof is deteriorated and definitely needs to be redone, as the ceilings are only about 2.10m (7 feet) high and sloped. Additionally, an extension needs to be added to the house because a rather narrow staircase basically ruins the entire layout. The electrical system is decades old, and there is no heating at all. The windows also need to be replaced. Unless sentimental reasons or heritage protection prevent it, I can only see demolition as a practical option here. For €900,000 minus demolition costs and landscaping, you can still get a very large house – even now. Apart from that, based on the description, it doesn’t seem like even the shell is usable. So it’s basically a new build anyway. If desired, individual elements of the existing building (such as old bricks, beams, or similar) can be nicely integrated into a new construction.
Reim2022 schrieb:
We reviewed the renovation plans with the architect we eventually chose.
Today, after half a year, I finally received the cost estimate, and I was almost shocked.You can just forget about this architect right away. He will probably also want €5000 for his “great” cost breakdown/estimate…pkiensch schrieb:
For 900,000€ minus demolition costs and landscaping, you can still get a very large house. That’s also my opinion,
Reim2022 schrieb:
Finished or turnkey houses are apparently available starting from around 150,000€. However, just because builders list this price on their websites, it’s a myth.
Fortunately, the house is not a listed building. Setback requirements are also not an issue for the new construction since we have a large plot of land with over 2,000 sqm (21,500 sq ft), allowing us some flexibility.
As I said, the amount seems quite high to me, but that’s why there is an expert’s assessment. I need something concrete that I can take to the bank; it wouldn’t make sense to apply for a loan of $400,000 if the calculation is actually for $900,000. For this reason, I have basically concluded the renovation, since the potential savings compared to building new were the main consideration.
As I said, the amount seems quite high to me, but that’s why there is an expert’s assessment. I need something concrete that I can take to the bank; it wouldn’t make sense to apply for a loan of $400,000 if the calculation is actually for $900,000. For this reason, I have basically concluded the renovation, since the potential savings compared to building new were the main consideration.
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